2020 Aston Martin Project 003

A Valkyrie with room for luggage?

The Aston Martin AM-RB 003, previously known as Project 003, is a concept car that previews a production model scheduled to arrive in 2021. The company’s third supercar, the AM-RB 003 follows in the footsteps of the Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro, formerly known as Project 001 and Project 002, respectively.

Just like the Valkyrie, the AM-RB 003 is being developed with input from Red Bull Advanced Technologies in the design and engineering departments and will include features and technologies from the said hypercar. Aston Martin promises that this supercar will "meet and surpass the performance demands of existing top-end hypercar rivals," but until actual data comes out, it’s just PR talk. Let’s find out what we already know about this vehicle.

2020 Aston Martin Project 003 Exterior

Aggressive aerodynamics

Massive diffuser

Canopy-style roof

Looks fast!

Project 003 will have "active aerodynamics for outstanding levels of downforce in a road-legal car"

The company’s small press release comes with a dark teaser showing the vehicle’s rear end. It doesn’t reveal much, but we can see that it shares the canopy-style design with the Valkyrie. It also has muscular rear fenders, wide rear wheels, and an air scoop on the roof that feeds air into the mid-mounted engine.

The rear spoiler doesn’t look as aggressive as the Valkyrie, but it appears that Project 003 has some sort of wing atop the center section of the deck lid. The taillights also set it apart from the Valkyrie. While the latter has rectangular clusters at the corners, Project 003 has long and sleek LED lights. The diffuser is massive, just like on the Valkyrie, and essentially replaces the rear bumper.

Aston Martin says that Project 003 will have "active aerodynamics for outstanding levels of downforce in a road-legal car," so it’s safe to assume that it will borrow some tech from the Valkyrie.

2020 Aston Martin Project 003 Interior

No photos yet

Likely track-focused

Some storage space

More amenities than Valkyrie

A small trunk will be placed most likely under the front hood

Absolutely no word or teasers for the interior, but it should have a race-inspired cockpit with seating for two. It’s somewhat convenient to say that it will borrow a lot form the Valkyrie, but I think Aston Martin will go for a new design. Since the Project 003 is being designed and engineered to "offer more practical concessions to road use, including space for luggage," it will probably have more convenience features than the Valkyrie.

A small trunk will be placed most likely under the front hood, but Aston Martin could also come up with a couple of side compartments, just like the iconic McLaren F1. It should also add more storage space inside the cabin, like on the center console, in the door panels, and behind the seats. Now don’t go thinking that Project 003 will be roomy enough for a vacation with a friend, it will be just a tad more spacious than the track-focused Valkyrie.

2020 Aston Martin Project 003 Drivetrain

Hybrid drivetrain

Possibly a 4.0-liter V-8

Around 1,000 horsepower

Active suspension

Note: Aston Martin Valkyrie engine pictured here.

Project 003 might not be as powerful as the Valkyrie, but it could generate close to 1,000 horsepower

While the Valkyrie features a naturally aspirated V-12, the 003 will come with a turbocharged gasoline engine and an electric motor. The company will probably use the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 borrowed from Mercedes-AMG, but it could also develop a brand-new powerplant for this hypercar. Instead of the Valkyrie’s KERS system, the Project 003 will have at least an electric motor, which means it will be all-wheel driven.

Given its more road-friendly setup, Project 003 might not be as powerful as the Valkyrie, which is rated at a massive 1,130 horsepower. It could generate close to 1,000 horsepower, an impressive rating given that it will tip the scales at less than 2,500 pounds. The massive downforce, the active suspension, and the active aerodynamics will provide "next-level precision, control, and driver connection," just like the Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro.

2020 Aston Martin Project 003 Pricing

It’s obviously too early to talk about prices now, but the Project 003 will definitely hit the market as a million-dollar hypercar. With production at least three times bigger than the Valkyrie, the Project 003 could be a bit more affordable, but not by much. With the Valkyrie priced at $3.2 million, the Project 003 should fetch at least $2 million.

2020 Aston Martin Project 003 Competition

Also, a road-legal hypercar inspired by Formula One, the Mercedes-AMG Project One is the only true competitor for the Project 003. Sporting a highly aerodynamic body with massive vents and a rear wing, the Project One looks ready to tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside the world’s fastest prototype racers. The interior also looks like a full-fledged race car. Big screens on the center stack and instrument cluster, loads of exposed carbon fiber, seats integrated into the floor, and a race-spec steering wheel replaces the amenities found in most supercars. Under the hood of the Project One lurks a Formula One drivetrain consisting of a turbocharged, 1.6-liter V-6 gasoline engine and no fewer than four electric motors. There’s one for the turbo, one for the engine’s crankcase, and two spinning the front axle. Output figures have yet to be released, but the V-6 is said to produce around 750 horsepower while the electric motors will contribute with an additional 270 horses or so. This means that the Project One will hit the road with at least 1,000 horsepower. Production is scheduled to begin in 2020, so this hypercar will arrive before the Project 003. Production will be limited to 275 units, 50 of which will cross the pond to the U.S. The supercar costs $2.7 million and all 275 examples have already been sold.

Final Thoughts

I must admit I’m a bit surprised that Aston Martin is already building a new hypercar. It hasn’t been long since the Valkyrie was unveiled and the British firm is already working on a new 1,000-horsepower machine. And it’s not just a new version of the Valkyrie, but a brand-new concept that’s supposed to be a bit more practical. We don’t know much about it right now, but Aston Martin should provide more details at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.

Love it

Sound interesting

Enhanced practicality

Around 1,000 horsepower

Leave it

Still a mystery

Still at least two years away

Further reading

New hypercar codenamed Project ‘003’
Third hypercar to be created by Aston Martin
Revolutionary new mid-engined hypercar features technology showcased in the Aston Martin Valkyrie
Arriving to market in late 2021
Production strictly limited to 500 coupe examples globally

20 September 2018, Gaydon: Aston Martin’s next step into the mid-engined hypercar market has been confirmed with the release of the first official details of Project ‘003’.

Project ‘003’ is the third hypercar to be developed by Aston Martin following the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro (formerly ‘001’ and ‘002’), 003 has its DNA deeply rooted in concepts and technology currently being developed for those revolutionary road and track-only machines.

Project ‘003’ will be built around a lightweight structure and powered by a turbocharged petrol-electric hybrid engine. Combined with active aerodynamics for outstanding levels of downforce in a road-legal car, active suspension systems providing next-level precision, control and driver connection like the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro, Project ‘003’ will possess class leading dynamics on both road and track.

While this exceptional breadth of performance is of paramount importance, Project ‘003’ is also being designed and engineered to offer more practical concessions to road use, including space for luggage. Fully homologated and available in all markets in both left and right-hand drive, production will be limited to 500 coupe examples globally, with the first cars arriving to market in late 2021.

Aston Martin Lagonda President and Group Chief Executive, Andy Palmer, said: “It was always the intention for the Aston Martin Valkyrie to be a once-in-a lifetime project, however, it was also vital to us that Valkyrie would create a legacy: a direct descendent that would also set new standards within its own area of the hypercar market, creating a bloodline of highly specialised, limited production machines that can exist in parallel with Aston Martin’s series production models. I’m thrilled to announce that this car is the Project ‘003’, and our next step into a dynamic and exacting arena.”